Conventional appliances, such as stoves, ovens, and refrigerators, may not be connected to a network and their operation may not depend on the presence of people in the vicinity of the appliance. For example, a stove may continue to operate when no one is home, and a person not at home may not know which appliances are on and which appliances are off. Additional convenience, safety, and functionality of conventional appliances may be improved by connecting the appliances to a network and/or using information external to the appliance in controlling the operation of the appliance.